Federal regulators issued warning letters today to four
manufacturers of alcoholic energy drinks - days after one such
beverage was linked to a drunken driving crash that killed a
14-year-old Arlington girl.

Labeling caffeine an "unsafe food additive" for alcoholic
drinks, the Food and Drug Administration said the combination
creates a public health concern and can lead to "a state of
wide-awake drunk."

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said evidence has shown their
consumption has led to alcohol poisoning, car accidents and
assaults, she said. Many of those who consume the beverages are
underage.

One of the caffeinated drinks, Four Loko, has come under
scrutiny locally after a rollover crash early Sunday in Denton
killed 14-year-old Valeria Rodriguez. The girl was ejected from a
sport utility vehicle driven by her 14-year-old boyfriend, who
police suspect was drinking.

Another teen in the car admitted to drinking the malt liquor,
and empty cans were found in the car, according to media reports.
The boyfriend, whose name was not released, was taken into custody
on an intoxicated manslaughter charge.

One 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko contains 12 percent alcohol and
is roughly equivalent to four beers and two or three cups of
coffee.

Four states have banned malt beverages like Four Loko, Moonshot,
Max and Joose, and Texas Sen. Royce West said others should follow
suit.

"It's clear to me that this drink should not be distributed and
not targeted toward minors," he said. "I'm supportive of the effort
the FDA is making."

After the deadly crash in Denton, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage
Commission launched an investigation to find out where the minors
bought the alcohol.

"The point is to find source of alcohol and find if it was
illegally served or sold - in this case, it involves sale to
minor," TABC spokeswoman Carolyn Beck said.

Beck said binge drinking among young drinkers is a serious
problem and beverages like Four Loko complicate the problem.

"With a drink that large - one designed to drink in one large
serving - you drink all of it because you can't re-cork it," Beck
said. "It's incredibly dangerous for inexperienced drinkers."

Hundreds of convenience stores across the Dallas area sell
beverages like Four Loko, which is packaged in bright cans and
features flavors like Cranberry Lemonade and Blue Raspberry.

Convenience stores near the Arlington high school Valeria
attended noticed the demographic purchasing the flashy cans.

"It's definitely a younger crowd purchasing it," said Torrance
Durkee, who works at a convenience store about a mile from Sam
Houston High School.

Dr. Stacey Hail, assistant professor of emergency medicine and
medical toxicology at UT Southwestern, headed to the convenience
store Tuesday night to check out the controversial drinks after
hearing about the FDA's concerns.

"The thing that struck me right off the bat was it was double
the size of a typical beer can," she said, "and almost triple the
amount of alcohol."

Because of the caffeine content, drinkers may not know how drunk
they are, Hail said, explaining the "blackout in a can" label.

"Drinkers are going to experience the stimulation effects of
caffeine immediately, and maybe drink two because they feel fine,"
she said. "Then, when the caffeine wears off, they're going to feel
the effect of 12 beers and experience alcohol intoxication."

On Tuesday, the manufacturer of Four Loko said it's pulling the
blend off the market to reformulate the drink and remove the
caffeine. Chicago-based Phusion Projects said this wasn't the
outcome it had hoped for.

"We are taking this step after trying - unsuccessfully - to
navigate a difficult and politically-charged regulatory environment
at both the state and federal levels," the statement said.

The FDA - which also issued warning letters to Charge
Beverages Corp., New Century Brewing Co. and United Brands Company
Inc. - said Phusion's announcement was a positive step but that
officials have not yet heard the company's timeline for pulling the
caffeinated drinks off the market.

Stores around the Southern Methodist University campus have
their shelves stocked with eight flavors of Four Loko, which is
often consumed by college students.

Colin Waugh, a junior computer science major at SMU who
frequently drinks the beverage, said he'd continue to buy it even
if the caffeine is removed because of the low price - about $3 a
can.

"It's drinking on a budget," he said. "Caffeine is just a nice
bonus, so there's no sleepy-drunk at the end of the night."

Although the drinks have received a lot of attention, Waugh said
that he's not worried about his own health.

"I know how much alcohol is in it," he said, "and I know when to
stop."

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